Collier homeless kids need school supplies

COLLIER COUNTY: Because they're in and out of classrooms and sleeping in shelters, homeless children can seem invisible to many people. But the number of homeless kids is Collier is rising drastically.

Audrey Mondragon is homeless, single mother raising her 12-year-old daughter.

"I have to decide whether to pay certain bills or do certain things for my daughter," she explained.

Mainly because of foreclosures and evictions, a growing number of Collier County children now deal with the same situation as Mondragon's daughter.

Many families are worried about where they'll sleep at night - not how to pay for new school supplies or uniforms that will help keep their kids in the classroom.

"I just don't have any plans for doing any shopping right now," Mondragon said.

The school district reports there are more than 800 homeless students in Collier. That's up 33-percent from the year before.

The stats are scary enough for the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce and Red Cross to start collecting everything from backpacks and notebooks to toiletries.

"We actually have in our own backyard, children who are homeless, who desperately need our help," said Donna Niemczyk from the Marco Chamber.

It's a big lift for parents like Mondragon who is trying to send her daughter into 7th grade at Golden Gate Middle School.

"It would be wonderful. It will be one less thing that I'll have to worry about," she said.

It's an effort to help hundreds of homeless students before the school year even starts.

These are some of the items needed:

Pens, pencils, erasers

Notebooks

Backpacks

Three-ring binders

Scissors

Glue

Tissue

Gift cards for families

Monetary donations for uniforms

Contact the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce at (239) 394-7549 or the Collier Red Cross at (239) 596-6868 if you'd like to help.

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